The Poet and Prose from the Library of Congress

U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith will soon bring the power of poetry
to listeners across the globe as host of a weekday podcast and radio
feature titled The Slowdown.


The five-minute program encourages listeners to make a daily space for poetry in an increasingly busy and chaotic world.


“Poetry isn’t an escape or even a luxury,” Smith said. “I’d argue it’s a necessity, a means of living more deeply with reality.”


The celebrated poet will read works by writers from around the country
and the world and explore how poetry helps us better understand life,
history, art, science and more.